Former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode says he has suspended a member of his media team who tweeted that the former national security adviser Sambo Dasuki was among those who betrayed former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
Issues around what led to Mr Jonathan’s loss in 2015 have been hotly contested in recent times, with a former governor of Niger State Babangida Aliyu claiming recently that northern PDP governors worked against Jonathan, the party’s presidential candidate, that year.
In his tweets on Monday, Mr Fani-Kayode said Dasuki was loyal to Jonathan and that his name was included in the list in error.
“Yesterday a member of my social media team tweeted an allegation about those that betrayed @GEJonathan during the 2015 election with my handle. Col. Sambo Dasuki was one of the names mentioned. This was done without my authorisation & in error. Col. Dasuki was a faithful loyal member of the Jonathan admin & for the 4 years that he was in detention I spoke up for him more than anyone else,” he wrote.
“It was unfortunate & unacceptable for his name to be on that list & I have not only queried the individual that tweeted it but also suspended him from my employment. Apart from the fact that Col. Sambo Dasuki remains a dear friend & brother, the Dasukis & the Fani-Kayode’s have a long-standing relationship which predates this generation. For example Col. Dasuki’s father, the late Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki, was very close to mine Sambo Dasuki is not a traitor, he never worked against the Jonathan election bid in 2015 & he served Pres. Jonathan as NSA diligently, faithfully & loyally.
“I regret any embarrassment that this error may have caused him or his loved ones. The offending tweet has been removed.”
Shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari took power in 2015, Dasuki was arrested and charged with money laundering and illegal possession of firearms.
He was released in December 2019 after being detained for over four years.
